Container and opening key



Jan. 3R, fl5 N. GEERTSEN 2,495,73

CONTAINER AND OPENING KEY Filed Nov. 28, 1944 INVENTOR.

m VZNM 01 QZM atented an. 31, 1.956

CGNTAINER AND OPENING KEY Nelson Geertsen, Chicago, Il assignor tov American Can Company, New York, N. 1., a. currmra..--

tion of New .lersey Application November 28, 1944,. Serial No. 5.65.491

4. Claims.

This invention relates to cans or containers andv has particular reference to a key opening container having a tearing strip and having a spring element formed in the tearing strip tongue for. receiving holding an opening key on the tongue and for preventing accidental removal of the key.

A sizable percentage of all cans manufactured. are subjected to rough handling during shipment and particularly key opening cans and the like must be protected sufficiently to safeguard keys, which may be furnished with the cans, from. becoming detached. This is particularly true, for example. in the use of ammunition boxesand the like which receive very rough treatment in their transportation to the fighting fronts. It is for such purposes that the instant invention is most useful. This invention provides a simple holding means that will withstand the forces tending to separate the opening key from a can to which it is attached.

The. present invention contemplates overcoming these transportation difiiculties by providing a yieldable. element. in the tongue of the can which will allow the assembly of a key onto the tongue and which thereafter will serve as a barrier against detachment of the key.

An object of the invention is the provision of a key opening container having a tongue at the outer terminal of a tearing stripfor receiving and for holding an opening key onto the tongue. wherein a spring element or finger is formed in the tongueto allow passage of the opening key during assembly onto the tongue and which thereafter prevents accidental removal of the key from the ton ue.

A further object of the invention is the provision in a key opening can, of a turned back tongue at the terminal end of a tearing strip which is folded over the key after it is assembled onto the tongue, wherein the turned back portion of the tongue includes a spring finger which is sprung. out of the plane of the tongue during the folding of the tongue into a protected posi tion thereby assuring the holding of the onto the tongue.

Another object of the invention is the provision in such a container having a tongue which is cut to provide a spring finger. of a raised boss or protuberance in the tongue having cooperation with the spring finger when the latter is bent back against the protuberance, to provide an added. thickness in excess of the width of the slot. in; an. opening key, thereby serving as a safety means in preventing the inadvertent removal of the: key from the tongue.

Numerous other objects and. advantages of. theinvention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following. description, which, taken in connection. with the accompanying. drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is: a view in side. elevation of the upper portion of a container embodying the present invention, and showing an opening key attached to aturned back tongue of the container;

Fig. 2 is a greatly enlarged perspective view showing the details of a spring element and a protuberance formed in the tongue;

Fig. 3 isv a sectional View on an enlarged scale, taken substantially along the line 3--3 in Fig. 1. but showing the opening: key as it is first assembled onto the tongue after being passed over a protuberance and aspring element of the tongue;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the terminal end of the tongue turned back. over the key. the spring element having been sprung out of its first positionby such a. bending of the tongue end;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with the spring element folded back against the protuberance, this. shaping of theparts. providing a stop-for positively preventing undesirable removal of the opening key from the tongue;

Fig. 6 .is a view similar to Fig. 2.showing a modi-. fled form oi the invention, wherein the protuberonce is formedin. the spring. finger; andv Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the. modified formwherein the protuberance. is formed in the spring finger which upon being folded orbent back against the tongue confinesthe. protuberance therebetween, the added thickness. serving as av stop and positively preventing removal of theopening key.

As a preferred embodiment of the invention the drawings illustratea tubular can body havinga top end. secured thereto in an end seam l2 (Fig. 1). The body H is prepared with spaced score lines 13. which provide a tearing strip 14 of; conventional form. The tearing strip M has an outwardly extending tongue US which. is formed in a novel manner for receiving a slotted opening key It; and for holding the key against removal.

The, tongue 15. (Fig. 2-): is. cut or slit along para-h lel lines whichare joined. at; one endto define a spring finger or lug ll. Such a'fingcr has an integral connection with the tongue along; an unout line ofbend I18. which. is preferably located 3 near the outer end of the tongue. The spring finger IT is ofiset slightly at the line l8 (see also Fig. 3) and extends out of the plane of the tongue.

The amount of offset of the spring finger I! is such as to allow free passage of the opening key [6 over it when the key slot 29 is slipped onto the tongue. The free end of the spring finger during this assembly of the key onto the can, will yield only enough to allow the opening key to pass along the finger in the direction of application, that is inwardly from the terminal end of the tongue (Fig. 3).

After the opening key I6 is slipped onto the tongue and is in a position inside the spring finger, as best illustrated in Fig. 3, the key is held thereon against accidental removal by the free end of the spring finger ll which serves as a barrier in preventing the accidental removal or loss of the key.

By folding the terminal end of the tongue over the key after it is assembled onto the tongue (as in Figs. 1 and 4) further protection against the key removal may be obtained. The spring finger I7 is located in the folded portion of the tongue and this finger is thus sprung further out of the plane of the tongue by reason of this bending step. It therefore functions still more efficiently as a barrier, in addition to the advantage of the spring finger being thereby disposed in its protected position adjacent the body wall of the container.

It may be deemed desirable as an added pro tection, preferably in connection with the turned back tongue, to bend the spring finger sharply on itself to positively prevent the removal of the key from the tongue (Fig. 5). For this purpose a raised boss or protuberance 22 is provided in the tongue l5 for cooperation with such a bent back spring finger (see also Fig. 3).

The raised. boss 22 is formed in the tongue i5 and preferably is disposed between the terminal end of the tongue and the line of bend l8 of the spring finger. This boss is of limited height to allow for the passage of the slotted opening key It thereover when such a key is assembled as previously described.

The further or reverse bending of the spring finger IT, as illustrated in Fig. 5, positions it against the boss 22. The latter then serves as a spacer and a support for the spring finger. The combined thickness of the spring finger l'l, added to that of the boss, is thus greater than the width of the slot 29 in the opening key and provides a positive safety means preventing removal of the key from the tongue.

It will be obvious that the boss for increasing the combined thickness of the finger parts need not be a separate part of the spring finger. Since its sole purpose is to provide a space between the two bent portions of the spring finger such a boss may take the form of a protuberance formed directly in the spring finger or in a different position from that shown herein.

One such modified form is disclosed in Figs. 6 and '7 of the drawings wherein a protuberance 25 is pressed out from a spring finger 26 of the tongue 15. Fig. 7 illustrates the protuberance resting against the tongue proper being disposed between the tongue and finger when the latter is folded back on itself, in this form projecting toward the outer end of the tongue. It will be readily seen that this also provides a safety means for positively preventing unintentional removal of the key from its tongue.

The opening key l6 shown and described is of conventional form having a head 21 and a shank 28. The shank in this case, however, is elongated and the elongated slot 29 permits the key being moved from its normal resting position shown in full in Fig. 1, into a raised operating position as illustrated by dot and dash lines in that figure.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A key opening container, comprising a tubular sheet metal body having parallel score lines setting ofi a tearing strip, said strip terminating at its outer end in a tongue for receiving and holding an opening key having a slot therein, an integral spring finger struck out of said tongue and off-set therefrom, the free end of said finger projecting away from the end of said tongue to allow the passage of the key slot thereover by yielding of said spring finger, and a protuberance on said tongue for spacing said spring finger from the plane of the tongue when the finger is bent rearwardly the combined thickness of the rearwardly bent portion of the spring finger and said protuberance being in excess of the width of the slot of the key, thereby preventing accidental removal of the key from said tongue.

2. A key opening container, comprising a tubular sheet metal body having parallel score lines setting off a tearing strip, the said strip having a tongue on one end for receiving and holding a slotted opening key, a protuberance formed on said tongue, and an integral spring finger cut out of said tongue extending inwardly thereon, said finger being offset from the plane of and yieldable toward the tongue to permit inward passage of the key slot thereover to clear said finger, said spring finger thereafter serving as a barrier to hold the key on the tongue against accidental force tending to dislodge the key from the tongue, said spring finger also serving as a positive stop when bent back on itself with the protuberance disposed therebetween, the combined thickness of the tongue the spring finger and the said protuberance being in excess of the width of the slot in the key to prevent removal of the key from said tongue.

3. A key opening container, comprising a tubular sheet metal body having parallel score lines setting oiT a tearing strip, said strip having a tongue on one end for receiving and holding a slotted opening key, an integral spring finger cut out of said tongue and yieldably offset from the plane of the tongue to permit the passage of the key thereover, and a protuberance formed on said spring finger, said finger serving as a barrier to hold the key on the tongue against accidental force tending to dislodge the key from the tongue said spring finger also serving as a positive stop when reversely bent upon itself and against said tongue with the protuberance disposed therebetween, the combined thickness of the tongue the spring finger and the said protuberance being in excess of the width of the slot of the key to prevent removal of the key from said tongue.

4. A container having an opening key including ing a shank having a longitudinal slot therein, and a tearing strip set ofi by score lines on a wall of said container and terminating in a projecting tongue disposed within the confines of said score lines for engaging the slot in the shank portion of said key, an integral part of said tongue being struck out of the plane thereof to constitute an outwardly extending spring lug on the tongue, said lug being yieldable toward the tongue to permit passage of the key slot over the lug when said tongue is engaged within the key slot, said tearing strip tongue being disposed in reverse folded position over the key shank and against the container wall to project said spring lug outwardly 'ifrom the plane of the tongue to form a barrier for engaging the key shank adjacent said slot to. hold the key against inadvertent displacement 'gfrom the tongue, and to dispose the projecting spring lug in protected position between the tongue and 5 the container wall.

NELSON GEERTShf-N.

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